Infiniti Confirms Hybrid Sportscar

Following Acura and BMW, Infiniti will be the next luxury automaker to introduce a hybrid halo sports car.While the notion of a hybrid sports car may have seemed ridiculous a few years ago, the idea is gaining traction. Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren have revealed hybrid supercars, and both BMW and Acura have their own hybrid sports cars on the way.

While the notion of a hybrid sports car may have seemed ridiculous a few years ago, the idea is gaining traction. Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren have revealed hybrid supercars, and both BMW and Acura have their own hybrid sports cars on the way. Now Infiniti is reported to have green-lit one of of its own The news comes as little surprise from a brand that has already revealed hybrid sports car prototypes in the Emerg-e and Essence concepts, and the production version is expected to borrow elements of both when it arrives by 2016.

Just what powertrain configuration it uses, however, remains to be seen. The Emerg-e employed a 1.2-liter four and two electric motors to produce 402 horsepower. The Essence, however, used a 3.7-liter V6 with a single electric motor for 592 hp. Although the GT-R’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 was considered with an electric assist, it was ultimately ruled out as too crude for a luxury car. The addition of a “halo” model is reportedly viewed as crucial for Infiniti’s expansion. In China alone, the brand’s sponsorship of the Red Bull Racing team has reportedly boosted brand awareness by ten percent over two years.